Lia Pontarelli
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Travel Agent
A Full-Service Travel Leaders Associate Agency
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Dream Vacation Designer
Traveling isn't just about getting away, it's about trying/learning something new. You might learn about a new culture, try some different foods, or even learn more about who you are/want to be. OR you could simply learn that you love the feel of sand between your toes! Traveling has long been something I've enjoyed, and I love that I am able to help others plan trips and have unforgettable experiences. I love the organizing and details that go in to planning a new adventure. I love the thrill of experiencing a new part of the world. I love the joy that comes with the lasting memories you make. Wouldn't you like to experience those thrills and joys? I specialize in Alaska and Hawaii trips, Disney vacations, river and ocean cruises, wildlife based experiences, beach & all-inclusive vacations, and adventure based expeditions. I can't wait to help you plan your next adventure!
My Travel Specialties
My Areas of Expertise
CERTIFICATES & AWARDS
Avanti Certified Expert
NCL University - PHD Degree
Royal Caribbean University - Master of Adventure
UnCruise Certified Adventurist
Viking Expeditions Expert
Viking Oceans Expert
Viking Rivers Expert
Travel Alaska Certified Expert
Travel to Italy Specialist - Italian Tourism Board
Disney College of Knowledge Graduate
Hawai'i Destination Expert
Princess Academy Staff Captain
Anchorage Wild Expert
Switzerland Travel Expert - Switzerland Tourism
US Virgin Islands Specialist
2024 Agency of Excellence
Princess Cruise Line - Alaska Expert
Alaska Railroad Travel Expert
Apple Leisure Group Vacation Certified Specialist
Travefy Certified
My Travel Stories
Visit Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Getting to Lake Louise we flew into Calgary, rented a car, and drove up into the mountains. We were a little nervous about driving into the mountains in November, but the weather was great. From someone who has driven from Denver up into the mountains many times, this route was nothing ... Read more from my Visit Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise story.
Swim with Whale Sharks in Isla Mujeres
Most everyone that has spent time with me knows that I say the beach is my happy place. I don't typically spend a lot of time in the water, but the beach has my heart. So when my mother brought up jumping into the ocean to swim with whale sharks, I ... Read more from my Swim with Whale Sharks in Isla Mujeres story.
Polar Bear Capital of the World
When people talk about seeing animals in their natural habitat, most people think of things like an African safari. Had it ever crossed your mind to go see polar bears in their natural habitat? Well, that's why we headed to Churchill! It’s a small town up on the Hudson Bay.
That first ... Read more from my Polar Bear Capital of the World story.
International travel without the stress
Reviewed By Sherm - Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Traveled to Ambergris Caye ~ Belize ~ Central America
Lia provided our family with several options to choose from, ranging from destination, transportation, excursions etc. Once we made our decision, Lia made sure all details were covered and verified all arrangements prior to our departure. Lia made sure all aspects of our adventures went as planned and communicated any changes (including last minute changes) in a timely manner. Lia was fun to work with and her expertise in travel gave us full confidence, relieving us of any vacation planning stress. Lia is awesome to work with!!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
Trip to Alaska
Reviewed By JT - Riverside, Iowa | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
Lia was fantastic to work with! Her communication was timely and informative. Payments were explained thoroughly and options were given. She accommodated our requests and truly made our dream trip come true. Lia was available to ask questions even during our travels and followed up to inquire about our experience. We will definitely use her again for big trips!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Highly satisfied!
Reviewed By Jen - Washington, IA | Traveled to Riviera Maya ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Lia took time to find out what we were looking for in a vacation and then provided us with many options and choices. She answered all of my questions promptly and made our vacation planning a breeze! I had a concern with an excursion while on my trip and she responded immediately and was right there to help!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Alaska adventure
Reviewed By JL - Garnavillo iowa | Traveled to Inside Passage ~ Alaska ~ USA
Very helpful, listened carefully, made good suggestions, very prompt
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Best Honeymoon Experience!
Reviewed By Alisha - Marion, Iowa | Traveled to Nashville ~ Tennessee ~ USA
Lia did a great job helping me plan my honeymoon to Nashville. She provided us with different options based on type, our interests and price. She was very diligent in her follow up when I was the one dropping the ball! The trip was so smooth and she helped make it a trip to remember. I would highly recommend you working with her to make your life that much easier!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Magical Disney Experience
Reviewed By Kelli - Cedar Rapids, IA | Traveled to Florida ~ USA
From the very beginning Lia was great to work with. She accommodated to our work schedules to first sit down and work with us to really determine what we wanted to get out of our trip. I got quick responses when I would email her questions and she really made me relax and just put my mind at ease that everything was going to be taken care.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
The Best Trip of our lives!
Reviewed By Tanya - Clear Lake, IA | Traveled to Walt Disney World ~ Florida ~ USA
Lia is very kind and helpful. Quick to answer questions, guidance and getting all the reservations done. I felt very supported during the preparation of our Disney Trip. I had no worries when time came for the trip to start and every part of our trip went smoothly, I credit Lia for that!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Two of the best trips we have ever taken!
Reviewed By Larry - Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Traveled to Scotland ~ Europe
Very helpful, we did an overseas trip and a cruise in the past year, the first time for us so we are newbies! She helped us a lot and had answers for all of our questions (and we had a lot)!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Above and Beyond
Reviewed By Jenny - Cedar Rapids, IA | Traveled to Playa Del Carmen ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Lia did an amazing job of getting to know us and our preferences for our trip to Mexico. She gave us options of resorts that would meet our needs and then let us choose our preference. She made sure that we had transportation, travel insurance, adjoining rooms, entertainment, a variety of food options, etc. On Christmas Eve we had a cancellation on our flights due to weather. She gave us a personal call, that morning, and helped us get our family vacation rescheduled. She touched base with us before we left, during our stay and afterwards to make sure that things went smoothly and that we had a great time. Lia went above and beyond to make sure that our trip went smoothly.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Awesome Viking River Cruise
Reviewed By TKP - Ventura, IA | Traveled to Portugal ~ Europe
Lia was very helpful and professional, which gave us great confidence that our trip would go well and it did!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Dream Vacation
Reviewed By Megan - Kalona, IA | Traveled to Disneyland ~ California ~ USA
Working with Lia removed all the stress of planning and worrying about the details. Communication was detailed and quick responses. I was able to tell her about my wants for our trip and she took care of every detail.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Excellent trip thanks for Lia
Reviewed By Sue & Joe - Marion, Iowa | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
Absolutely pleasure. Lia was very helpful and responsive. She helped us plan the perfect cruise. We will definitely go to Lia again for our next adventure!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Had a wonderful time!
Reviewed By Bob - Marion, IA | Traveled to Mexico
Very thorough and timely with any questions we had. Very knowledgable about the destinations. Super easy to work with.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
Best Trip Ever!
Reviewed By Sam - Garnavillo IA | Traveled to Walt Disney World ~ Florida ~ USA
Lia was helpful and kind. Responded quickly with answers to our questions.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
Winter Wonderland Trip
Reviewed By SP - Bellevue, IA | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
Lia, was very , caring and pleasant to work with! She tried her best to answer all our questions about our trip ahead of time. She is detail oriented. We would work with her for future trips!!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Awesome Punta Cana Getaway
Reviewed By AndyB - Dubuque Ia | Traveled to Punta Cana ~ Dominican Republic ~ Caribbean
Lia worked with a our group (6 people) to help us find a great vacation. She was patient and helpful as we changed our minds several times.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Wonderful family trip
Reviewed By Raejean - Clarion, IA | Traveled to Florida ~ USA
She was kind, efficient, and took the headache out of planning a last minute vacation.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Amazing Trip!
Reviewed By Lois - Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Traveled to Toronto ~ Ontario ~ Canada
She found us a wonderful cruise through the Great Lakes and later helped me with paperwork when my husband was unable to travel.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
An amazing vacation!!
Reviewed By Bonnie - Walker, Iowa | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
Lia did a wonderful job booking are vacation. She was very friendly and helpful. We will definately contact her for our next vacation.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Our experience was Amazing!
Reviewed By Tom - Marion, Iowa | Traveled to London ~ England ~ Europe
Lia was engaging, experienced, organized and strong in follow up, so my wife and I had a great experience working with Lia. We had a lot of options on location to choose and made several changes as we got closer. Lia handled those changes perfectly and timely. She rocks!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Relaxing + Adventure
Reviewed By Mike - Cedar Rapids, IA | Traveled to Isla Mujeres ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
I was looking for a relaxing beach vacation. Lia suggested I add an ocean encounter with whale sharks. It was the highlight of my vacation. Thank’s Lia for pushing me!
Lia Pontarelli responded:
I'm so glad you enjoyed swimming with the gentle giants! Looking forward to hearing about your next adventures we're working on!
I'm so glad you enjoyed swimming with the gentle giants! Looking forward to hearing about your next adventures we're working on!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
10 Days in Italy
Reviewed By Riley - Des Moines, IA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Lia was awesome to work with. We had a tight timeline and she was very responsive and helpful with all of the different options. She also passed along information regarding “things to do” in Italy, which was great. We will definitely return to Lia when we are ready for our next adventure!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Our first trip to WDW was a success!
Reviewed By J. Claus - Gainesville, FL and Iowa City, IA | Traveled to Walt Disney World ~ Florida ~ USA
I reached out to Lia to help me plan my family's first trip to Walt Disney World, and she exceeded my expectations! She's very knowledgeable about all things Disney and her planning/tip sheets really made a big difference for us. Lia was quick to answer ALL my questions and even helped with an issue while we were on our trip. I will definitely use her in the future.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Great Trip Planning & Communication
Reviewed By Kami H - Atkins, IA | Traveled to New York City ~ New York ~ USA
We had a wonderful experience working with Lia. She listened to our needs and requests and we all of our excursions were professional and fun and our hotel was very nice with a few extra perks. She suggested a private car vs taxi from the airport (same price) and we were so impressed with the service they provided. We will definitely have Lia plan our next trip!
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
The Great Escape
Reviewed By dselk - Cedar Rapids, IA | Traveled to United Kingdom ~ Europe
Lia was great is explaining how a cruise worked, how to get transportation to the hotel and ship and coordinate the logistics for our flights.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
Incredible Alaska
Reviewed By Papa Bear - Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
My son, daughter in law, and I were recently in Alaska. We’d never been there. We wanted to see some major highlights on land. We wanted someone to guide us in what to see and do in a relatively short period of time. Lia did all that with all of her many Alaskan experiences. She gave us several examples of things to do. She was flexible, patient, and very responsive in planning our trip.She also took care of our accommodations and transport. There was never a problem. Everything was first rate. She even made it possible for us to see Mount Denali in its entirety for two days in a row!!😀 The helicopter ride to the glacier and the boat tour seeing whales and other sights were incredible!
Thank you, Lia!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Surprise Alaska Cruise
Lia helped me plan the ultimate surprise vacation cruise to Alaska for my dad. She was so helpful and knowledgeable with all of my questions and really went the extra mile to help us with a flight issue. I would highly recommend Travel Leaders/ Destinations Unlimited when planning your next trip! I look forward to working with Lia again when planning my next adventure!
Provided by Erin W. - Cedar Rapids, Iowa